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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27288616">Let's Get This Party Startled</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mrssakurahatake/pseuds/Mrssakurahatake'>Mrssakurahatake</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Halloween 2020 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Chouza-sensei, Gen, GenmaHalloWeekend, Ghouls Ghost &amp; Genma, Halloween, Nara Halloween Party, genin genma, it's a Big Deal, team chouza - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-30</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:41:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,802</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27288616</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mrssakurahatake/pseuds/Mrssakurahatake</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The genin of Team Chouza are ready for their first real mission. Cleaning for the Nara Halloween party isn’t exactly what they expected. Sometimes lessons can be learned from the most unexpected missions.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akimichi Chouza &amp; Shiranui Genma, Ebisu &amp; Shiranui Genma &amp; Maito Gai | Might Guy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Halloween 2020 [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1992859</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Ghouls Ghost and Genma 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Let's Get This Party Startled</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>For the Tumblr event Ghouls, Ghost and Genma</p><p>Beta'd by the amazing Moonlady 9</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Genma arrived at training ground five an hour before he was supposed to meet his team, packed and ready to leave on a mission. Technically, Chouza-sensei had told them to be at training ground seven, but he was sure Gai was already there, and he was in no mood to spend the next hour counting how many push-ups his teammate did.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>If he was going to spend an hour on the training grounds before a mission, it was going to be productive. He found a secluded clearing and set to work on his own training; attempting to harness chakra into his lips to propel his senbon. Sure, he'd never actually seen it done, but he couldn't think of a reason why it wouldn't work.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Forty-five minutes later his chakra was more depleted than he would have cared to admit, and still, he hadn't managed to send it more than a meter, and not hard enough to even puncture anything. Pondering his progress would have to wait, it was time to meet up with his team.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Throwing his bag over his shoulder he jumped onto the nearest tree branch. Only three branches away he began to get the feeling he was being followed. It wasn't something he could confirm. He certainly didn’t see or hear anyone, but the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end with that tale-tale feeling something was behind him. Deciding he was overreacting, he once again focused his chakra to the soles of his feet and lept away to meet his team.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He found Gai exactly where he expected him to be. Doing push-ups in a clearing rambling to himself about beating his rival. How Kakashi put up with that nonsense he would never understand.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as his feet hit the ground, crinkling the fallen leaves, Gai jumped up.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Genma! You’re here early. As I would expect from my honored teammate. Are you as excited for our mission as I am?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Genma was finally starting to grow used to Gai's... eccentricities. That didn't mean he understood them. "As long as we aren't chasing down lost cats again," he mumbled leaning up against the nearest tree. That feeling of being watched hadn’t left him, and he didn't like having his back so exposed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Gai continued to ramble about all the possible missions they could have been assigned. Chouza-sensei had promised them this would be their most important mission, and in his teammates mind that could be anything from protecting dignitaries to slaying dragons. Well maybe not slaying dragons. Genma had quickly learned to tune out Gai, being careful to only respond in noncommittal grunts.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Just as Gai was beginning to flail his arms about as he decided they would all be chunin by the time they got back to the village, the third member of their team came waltzing into the clearing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Ebisu's presence always set Genma on edge. There was something about those who were born into the "great" clans that he just didn't trust. And Ebisu was among the worst, not only was he from a major clan, he took every opportunity to suck up to the other clans. It was revolting. What did it matter if no one his his family had ever made it beyond chunin, that wouldn't stop him from becoming an ANBU captain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He just had to figure out how to spit a senbon first.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chouza-sensei seemed to come out of nowhere, walking up without a sound. It never failed to amaze Genma how a man so large could move so soundlessly. That was the type of shinobi he was going to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm glad you're all here," he greeted, smiling. "As I promised we have our most important mission yet."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>All three of them perked up a bit. Finally, a </span>
  <em>
    <span>real </span>
  </em>
  <span>mission.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We’re going to the Nara compound where you will help clean and decorate for the party tonight."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That’s our important mission?" Genma whined, too disappointed to hold back his outburst.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Missions are important for lots of reasons," Ebisu began to lecture, "this one is important due to village politics. All the most important clans will be there. It is an excellent opportunity to make connections."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Beside him Gai was nodding enthusiastically.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"We aren't going to the party, we are just cleaning for it," Genma mumbled. His teammates always seemed to miss the obvious.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"That's where you're wrong," Chouza added. "As the future head of the Akimichi clan, my team is expected to attend." He held up a hand to silence the flurry of questions that Gai was obviously dying to let out. "I know it's very last minute, but I have made all the preparations and have everything you’ll need."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Something about that sounded anomalous to Genma. Chances were they were going to spend the night babysitting a bunch of drunk clan heads, and even worse, they were going to have to do it wearing some dumb costume.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A short hike later they arrived at the Nara compound and were quickly put to work scrubbing floors, hanging lights, lighting jack-o-lanterns, and fixing drinks for Chouza-sensei. Somehow Genma didn't think that last part had been on the mission scroll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It was a lot more work than Genma had anticipated, and it wasn't aided by the fact he had spent most of the day arguing with Gai and Ebisu. Whoever it was that assigned teams had obviously made a mistake. There was no reason anyone should have expected the three of them to get along, much less work together. Not for the first time Genma wondered what would happen if he demanded a new team.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Shikaku's team was here cleaning too, and they were making much more progress. He hadn't seen a single argument between them. Maybe that was to be expected with Asuma and Kurenai, but Raidou worked with them flawlessly. Why couldn't he have gotten a teammate like that, he wondered watching as Ebisu struggled to remove the mop bucket that had somehow gotten stuck to Gai's foot. It just wasn't fair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Despite the setbacks, they completed their task before the deadline. A pleased and only slightly tipsy Chouza led them into a back room in the main house and instructed them to clean up before handing each of them a sealing scroll.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What's this?" Gai asked, rocking on the balls of his feet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're costumes for the party tonight."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Genma carefully pushed just the right amount of chakra into the seal releasing its contents with a soft pop. Once the smoke cleared the first thing he saw was a blue and gold striped tie. Wait a tie? Shinobi were warriors, what warrior wore ties? Sighing, he started to sort through the pile looking at all the pieces but not seeing the whole. Not until he got to the bottom and found a long black cape lined in royal blue satin with the Ravenclaw crest embroidered on the front. Taking a moment, Genma looked up to see his teammates equally awed. Gai was already flailing his wand as Ebisu laid out each green and silver piece neatly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe Chouza-sensei knew them better than he thought.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chouza returned a short time later, and Genma wasn't sure what he was expecting, but the elaborate Hagrid costume surely hadn't been it.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You all worked hard today, and everything looks wonderful. Your mission is complete, and tonight is about having fun. The Nara's have hosted this party every year since the founding of Konoha, no matter what is happening outside this village they have always found a way to make it happen." He sounded slightly less lectuary than he normally did, but that could have been the sake. "Missions don't always go as planned, and bad things are going to happen, and there is nothing I can do to protect you from that. That is why nights like this are important. They’re about family, and friends, and celebrating life and everything we mean to each other. So, remember that, and let's have fun."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the short time they had been gone the estate had come alive with shinobi and civilians alike. The lights they had strung overhead earlier illuminated the  courtyard where everyone had gathered. The jack-o-lanterns lining the area glowed warmly now that the sun had fully set. Even Genma had to admit it looked magical.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He tried to relax and have fun, he really did. It was just that fun wasn't something he had much practice at. He was going to be an ANBU captain, and he had spent the last few years with that goal in mind. That didn't leave much time for limbo and conga lines.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was in a quiet corner hidden in the dark trying to focus chakra in his lips when he felt that same familiar presence from the training grounds approaching him. This time it didn't stay hidden, a very drunk Chouza-sensai sat down beside him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why are you hiding all alone?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Genma felt almost ashamed. It wasn't like him to ignore an order. Even a dumb one like </span>
  <em>
    <span>have fun</span>
  </em>
  <span> "I'm not hiding," he mumbled.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Genma, you know, you aren't your parents, or their parents. You don't have to prove anything. You're going to be a splendid shinobi in your own time. And if you really want to be an ANBU captain, you can do that too. And no matter what you decide to do, I’m going to be here to help you every step of the way."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Genma didn't look up, at that moment he didn't know what to say, and he didn't need his sensei to see him trying so hard not to cry.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chouza didn't wait for a response. "I know it doesn't feel like it now, but soon you’re going to discover that Gai and Ebisu are more than just your teammates. The experiences you’ll have together are going to make them among the most important people in your life, but not everything happens in a day. Give it time."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Standing up, Chouza placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave it a slight squeeze, then started to walk away. "Oh, and one more thing."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes sensei?" Genma asked, proud of how steady his voice sounded.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Don't just put the chakra in your lips, you need to focus it in your whole mouth and use it to propel the air behind the senbon."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Genma wiped his face and took a deep breath before standing up and making his way back to the party. It wasn't hard to find Gai and Ebisu mixed in with the other members of their academy class. Gai was demonstrating his best wand welding techniques as Ebisu lectured about interclan dynamics, looking every part the Gryfindor and Slytherin Chouza-sensei thought them to be.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Maybe a little fun wasn't so bad after all.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Amazing art commissioned from https://thatpinkshinobi.tumblr.com/</p></blockquote></div></div>
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